IA Scientific Affairs Specialist Maria Paula Bautista Acelas discusses the importance of effective patient communication and engagement with DIA Patient Partners and cancer survivors Desiree Walker and Roberta Albany in this interview from our DIA Global Annual Meeting 2023 in Boston. Desiree is a member of the MRCT of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard’s Collaborative Cross-Industry Glossary for Clinical Research Workgroup and works extensively with the Young Survival Coalition. “My goal has been and continues to be that health equity is not a luxury but it’s an option for all,” she explained. “I’m involved in patient advocacy, but I also do research advocacy as well as legislative advocacy. We need the research, the evidence-based information, because that’s also needed for the policy conversations.”

Roberta is the Founder/CEO of Cancer In The Know and serves as a patient advocate for the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) Cancer Research Network. “I was diagnosed in 2013, and as I was receiving treatment in 2014, I noticed a disconnect. That disconnect was with people who looked like myself, and I wanted to be part of the solution. That is how I began my advocacy, through Living Beyond Breast Cancer,” explained Roberta. “I advocated for myself, but I wanted to be able to advocate for others a lot better. I wanted to be trained, so they helped me. From that point on, it just kind of flourished. I’ve worked with numerous other organizations to bring about change in the disparity gaps and marginalized communities, especially Black communities.”

Watch the complete interview below.